| Bolton, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Sawyer House, Bolton Historical Society | |
| Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Worcester |
| Settled | 1682 |
| Incorporated | 1738 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| • Town Administrator |
Donald (Don) Lowe[1] |
| • Board of Selectmen |
Curt Plante Kenneth F. Troup Stanley Wysocki |
| Area | |
| • Total | 20.0 sq mi (51.8 km2) |
| • Land | 19.9 sq mi (51.6 km2) |
| • Water | 0.1 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 387 ft (118 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 4,897 |
| • Density | 244.8/sq mi (94.5/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01740 |
| Area code(s) | 351 / 978 |
| FIPS code | 25-06365 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618357 |
| Website | www.townofbolton.com |
Bolton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 4,897 at the 2010 census.
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The town of Bolton was incorporated on June 24, 1738, following an influx of settlers. Town historian Esther Whitcomb, descendant of one of Bolton's earliest documented settlers, cites the recorded birth of a son, Hezekiah, to Josiah Whitcomb in 1681. By 1711, according to Whitcomb, more than 150 people were living on Bolton soil, despite a local history of Indian uprisings and one massacre. Many early houses were protected by flankers, and were designated as garrisons. Bolton's history is interesting because it is reflective of early settlement patterns in the central Massachusetts area, and the conflicts with King Philip (Metacom) and his Indian soldiers. Helene Demmer and Linda Mauro elected with their 4H group to design a town flag. The flag now hangs in Town Hall and the Massachusetts State House.
The town was formerly part of the town of Lancaster, but seceded along the Still River, where the current boundary line still stands.[2]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.0 square miles (52 km2), of which 19.9 square miles (52 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 0.35%, is water.
Bolton is bordered by Harvard to the north, Stow to the east, Hudson and Berlin to the south, Clinton to the southwest, and Lancaster to the northwest.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1850 | 1,263 | — |
| 1860 | 1,348 | +6.7% |
| 1870 | 1,014 | −24.8% |
| 1880 | 903 | −10.9% |
| 1890 | 827 | −8.4% |
| 1900 | 770 | −6.9% |
| 1910 | 764 | −0.8% |
| 1920 | 708 | −7.3% |
| 1930 | 764 | +7.9% |
| 1940 | 775 | +1.4% |
| 1950 | 956 | +23.4% |
| 1960 | 1,264 | +32.2% |
| 1970 | 1,905 | +50.7% |
| 1980 | 2,530 | +32.8% |
| 1990 | 3,134 | +23.9% |
| 2000 | 4,148 | +32.4% |
| 2001* | 4,252 | +2.5% |
| 2002* | 4,300 | +1.1% |
| 2003* | 4,375 | +1.7% |
| 2004* | 4,414 | +0.9% |
| 2005* | 4,454 | +0.9% |
| 2006* | 4,507 | +1.2% |
| 2007* | 4,570 | +1.4% |
| 2008* | 4,570 | +0.0% |
| 2009* | 4,599 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 4,897 | +6.5% |
| * = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12] |
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As of the census[13] of 2000, there were 4,148 people, 1,424 households, and 1,201 families residing in the town. The population density was 208.1 inhabitants per square mile (80.3 /km2). There were 1,476 housing units at an average density of 74.1 per square mile (28.6 /km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.76% White, 0.19% African American, 0.05% Native American, 1.30% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races, and 0.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.80% of the population.
There were 1,424 households out of which 44.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.0% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.6% were non-families. 11.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.91 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town the population was spread out with 30.4% under the age of 18, 3.3% from 18 to 24, 31.2% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $102,798, and the median income for a family was $108,967. Males had a median income of $79,167 versus $50,278 for females. The per capita income for the town was $42,542. About 1.1% of families and 1.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
Taxes in Bolton have increased since the 1980s in a disproportional fashion as compared to surrounding areas. This is largely due to the increased School budget and a lack of a commercial tax base.
| County government: Worcester County | |
|---|---|
| Clerk of Courts: | Dennis P. McManus (D) |
| District Attorney: | Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D) |
| Register of Deeds: | Anthony J. Vigliotti (D) |
| Register of Probate: | Stephen Abraham (D) |
| County Sheriff: | Lew Evangelidis (R) |
| State government | |
| State Representative(s): | Kate Hogan (D) |
| State Senator(s): | Jennifer Flanagan (D) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Jen Caissie (R) |
| Federal government | |
| U.S. Representative(s): | Niki Tsongas (D) (5th District), |
| U.S. Senators: | John Kerry (D), Scott Brown (R) |
Bolton is a member of the Nashoba Regional School District, also serving the towns of Lancaster and Stow. Bolton is home to the Emerson School (pre-4), Florence Sawyer School (K-8) and Nashoba Regional High School.